Flexible canteens



Dec. 23, 1958 R. E. ALLENBACH FLEXIBLE CANTEENS Filed Sept. 27. 1957 IN V EN TOR. for f fluf/y/jwcw FLEXIBLE CANTEENS Roy E. Allenbach, Pueblo, Clo., assignor to The Pueblo Tent and Awning Co., Inc., Pueblo, Colo., a corporation of Colorado Application September 27, 1957, Serial No. 686,790

1 Claim. (Cl. 150-21) This invention relates to a water canteen of the evaporation-cooled type. Water bags or canteens have long been formed of canvas or similar fabrics and when filled with water they become wet over their entire external surface. The wet surface attracts and accumulates road dust and other debris in an unsightly and repugnant muddy layer over the entire bag. This undesirable external covering of moist earth renders the bag unappetizing and results in soilage of articles with which it is brought into contact.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a water bag or canteen which, while retaining the effects of evaporation-cooling, will present a clean and attractive external surface unmarred by accumulated moisture and debris.

Another object'of the invention is to provide a water bag construction wherein moisture will be continuously supported, by capillary attraction, to a window in the front of the bag for evaporation purposes and in which the remainder of the bag will be formed of flexible waterproof material so that the bag may be laid with the window upward without moisture damage to its support.

A further object is to provide a bag formed from a single blank of thermo-sealable, flexible plastic sheeting whereby the edges may be rapidly and economically thermo-welded to provide a permanent, leak-proof edge seal.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail con struction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

in the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front face view of the improved water canteen;

Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section looking downward on the line 33, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a detail section, taken on the line 44, Fig. 1.

The improved water bag or canteen is formed from a single unitary blank of flexible, waterproof, sheeting of any suitable type. it is preferably formed from a vinylidene plastic fabric such as vinyl impregnated nylon fabric of a type capable of being heat sealed.

The blank is formed with an ovate-shaped front portion joined to a back portion 11 of similar size and shape along a fold line 12.

The middle of the front portion 10 is cut out to form a window opening 13, the lower portion of which defines a horizontally-elongated rectangular area and the upper portion of which defines a triangular area having inclined upper edges.

A flexible, absorbent sheet 14 of pervious fabric, of

tates ate considerably larger area than the window opening 13, is positioned against the inside face of the front portion 10 so as to cover the window opening and is stitched to the front portion 10 by means of suitable peripheral stitching 15. The absorbent sheet 14 is preferably formed of conventional water bag flax linen containing 60% flax linen and 40% jute.

The canteen is assembled'by folding the front portion 10 upwardly over the back portion 11, so as to enclose the absorbent sheet 14, and pressing a heated sealing die against the two contacting, arcuate side edges to form peripheral heat seals 16.

A strap tab 17 and a strap loop 18 are then stitched between the two adjoined and turned back top edges between the heat seals 16 and to one side of the center line of the canteen by means of two horizontal rows of stitching 19.

Any suitable filling nipple and cap device is then installed between the upper edges to one side of the strap loop in any suitable manner.

As illustrated, a tubular aluminum delivery spout 2& is inserted between the two turned-back top edges and is fixedly and snugly attached to the latter by means of suitable rivets 21. The neck piece is of the bottle-neck type designed to receive a conventional contractable cap 22 of the type arranged to be contracted upon the neck piece 2i by actuation of a lever clamping clip 23.

To prevent loss, the cap 22 is secured, by means of a flexible cord 24 which is stitched to the bag; by means of the stitching 1.9. The strap tab 17 and the strap loop 18 are provided with conventional snap fastening devices 25 to enable the canteen to be suspended from any desired support.

It can be seen that when the canteen contains water, the pervious absorbent sheet 14 will act as a wick to maintain the portion of the sheet which is exposed through the window opening 13 constantly moist, thus providing an evaporation area which will exert a cooling eflect upon the water.

it can also be seen that the back portion 11 and the front portion 10, about the window 13, will remain clean and dry since they are impervious to water. Thus, the objectionable features of the conventional water bag are completely eliminated.

It will be noted that the absorbent sheet 14 extends considerably below the window opening 13, as shown in broken line in Fig. 1. This downwardly extending portion acts as a wick to elevate water to the window when the level of the water is low in the canteen.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the: spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

A flexible water canteen comprising: a continuous unitary sheet of flexible water-proof thermo-plastic material folded over itself to provide a front portion and a back portion joined together at their bottoms by said fold, said portions being similar in size and shape and having side edges and top edges; thermo-welded seams joining the side edges of the front portion to the side edges of the back portion; a suspension strap extending between the top edges of said portions; a line of stitching securing said top edges, with the strap therebetween, together; a medially positioned window opening formed in said front portion; a sheet of flexible absorbent material positioned between said portions and covering said window opening; a second line of stitching securing said sheet'to said front portion peripherally about said window,

said sheet extending downwardly between"saidp'ottinns"' below said Window to act as a Wick to raise Water to said Window; and means for admitting Waterto-said canteen between said portions} References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STAT ES PATENTS Nelles July 9, 1918 DeLaney Nov. 8, 1938 Wenzel et a1 Apr. 19, 1949 Wikle Dec. 18, 1956 

